Typically, in dairy operations, cows are sheltered within a barn or a barn may be available in the event of inclement weather or otherwise. The cows may rest or may be fed and milked within the barn. A further area is generally provided for allowing the cows to rest if they are not eating. The rest area is divided into stalls to separate the resting cows. This prevents interference between the resting cows. The stalls are arranged on an elongate concrete slab which runs the length of the barn within which the cows are located and is of a width that allows the cows to stand or lie such that the manure from the resting cows is deposited outside the width of the elongate slab for convenience in manure gathering and disposition. The slab is covered with bedding of an appropriate nature, such as compost, hay, sawdust and the like and may be underlaid with a rubber mattress, all of which is intended to provide for the comfort of the cows.
The installation of the stall dividers has previously been achieved by installing a vertical hollow metallic member, or a wood member, which member is positioned or embedded in the concrete slab when the concrete is initially poured or which is attached to the surface of the slab following the pouring operation. The vertical members are placed in the wet concrete a predetermined distance apart and are arranged to extend vertically so far as is possible. Following the installation of the vertical members and the drying and hardening of the concrete, brackets are mounted on the vertical members at desired vertical positions. The brackets allow for the insertion of the actual stall divider members themselves. The stall divider members extend generally normal to the longitudinal center line of the slab.
This prior art technique has disadvantages. First, it is time consuming for the contractor pouring the concrete slab to await the installation of the vertical members prior to or during the concrete pouring operation. Secondly, the vertical and horizontal positioning of the members is time consuming and difficult to maintain particularly during the pouring operation when the concrete is applying strong forces on the members thereby tending to change their positions. Although the vertical member, following installation, allows for vertical adjustment of the stall dividers, which vertical adjustment may be useful for cattle of different sizes, the presence of the posts permanently installed detracts from the otherwise clean presence of the flat concrete. Further, damage to the posts will always occur over time due to the severe operating conditions under which they are used, namely the movement of large cows which exerts significant forces against the stall dividers. Finally, there is no post installation flexibility once the posts are embedded in the concrete.